Wambach's Kid

Adopted

"There will be a couple coming in to adopt a child between the ages of eight and twelve." the orphanage owner's voice said, ringing out over the chatter in the dining hall. "If you apply, be lined up in the hall in an hour." I sighed. I guess that meant me, then. I was an outcast in the Silver Mountains Home for Orphaned Girls. I was an eleven-year-old tomboy who loved soccer and video games. All the other girls were preppy idiots who always looked like someone had shoved a stick up their asses. An hour later, all of the girls ages eight to twelve were lined up in the hall. All the other girls were in their best dresses and shoes, with fresh makeup on and their hair done. I, on the other hand, was in my Abby Wambach jersey, a pair of basketball shorts, with my scruffy black combat boots on my feet. My hair was in its usual braid, covered by a bandana, and I had one earbud in, listening to Fall Out Boy. I couldn't care less what I looked like, or what others thought about me. No one ever wanted to adopt me anyway. The couple walked down the hall, and the girls introduced themselves. The couple were two women, one with short, caramel brown hair, the other with dark brown hair falling just past her shoulders. They stopped in front of me, and the short-haired woman grinned at me. "That's my jersey you're wearing." she said. I looked into her intense blue-grey eyes, and immediately recognized her. "Can we talk with this one?" the long-haired woman said. "Of course." the owner said. "Thalia, take these two nice people up to your room so you can talk." "So I'm assuming you know who I am?" the short-haired woman said. "You're Abby Wambach." I said immediately. "And I'm guessing you're Sarah Huffman." "Yup." Sarah said. "What's your name?" "Thalia Skywalker." I said. We reached my sparsely furnished room, and the two women looked around. "These are for soccer?" Abby guessed, looking at the trophy and medal on my bookshelf. "Yeah." I said. "I played on a select team for a year, then Miss Cheapskate said it cost too much and wouldn't let me play anymore." "How'd you get this, then?" Abby asked, gesturing to my jersey. "Those don't come cheap." "My friend Kat sold cookies at the market for weeks so she could get it for my birthday. She got adopted, though." the three of us talked, and I told them everything from my favorite book, Game Face, which had a picture of Brandi Chastain, shirtless and victorious, on the front cover, to how I'd sold my drawings at the market to save up for soccer gear. "Well, it's been nice meeting you." Sarah said when we'd wrapped up. "It was nice meeting you too." I said politely, and a little sadly. Abby ruffled my hair. "You're gonna make a great soccer player one day." she said. "I know it. You are strong with the Force." "Thanks." I said, smiling. They left, and I flopped down on my bed. I really thought they were gonna adopt me. "Hey." a voice said, pulling me back into reality. "Pack up." Abby said, tossing me a cardboard poster tube. "What?" I asked, confused. "Pack up, kiddo." Abby said, grinning. "You're coming home with us."